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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26629063">A Toast to Twenty</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/yeska_noka/pseuds/yeska_noka'>yeska_noka</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>HiHi Jets, Johnny's Entertainment, Johnny's Jr.</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Drunken Confessions, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 07:20:58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,332</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26629063</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/yeska_noka/pseuds/yeska_noka</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Mizuki and Ryo go out for drinks to celebrate their 20th birthdays.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hashimoto Ryo/Inoue Mizuki</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A Toast to Twenty</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It’s rare that Ryo and Mizuki go out together just the two of them, despite being friends for so long. There are always other people around, bunches of juniors and people from work, and somehow the idea of being alone with Mizuki makes Ryo feel kind of nervous. Nervous, and excited, and silly, because it’s just Mizuki, so he shouldn’t get this worked up over it, but he can’t help it. He’s a little bit in love with him, and maybe always has been. </p><p>It’s easy enough to ignore his feelings with the buffer of other people. Alone, Ryo feels exposed, like Mizuki is going to suddenly realize how he feels. But it’s their 20th birthdays, and it just feels right to celebrate it together. </p><p>He’s been drunk before - secretly, carefully - but never with Mizuki, because Mizuki would probably have killed him if he knew. But how else do you celebrate becoming an adult, right? And so he finds himself in the private booth of an izakaya, toasting their milestone together with Mizuki, and if he drinks way more than he should, it’s only because he’s trying to drown those stupid butterflies kicking up a storm in his stomach whenever Mizuki smiles at him. </p><p> </p><p>*****************************</p><p> </p><p>Mizuki has never seen Ryo drunk before - obviously. He’s rather cute. He gets even more clumsy than usual, clattering his plate and dropping his chopsticks, tripping over words a little, and Mizuki can’t help the stupid smile that spreads across his face whenever Ryo flashes him one of his brilliant grins. It’s contagious, as it’s always been, and it makes Mizuki feel like a complete idiot with the way he has no control over his reactions, but it’s always been like that with Ryo. He makes Mizuki feel and do things that no one else ever has. </p><p>Ryo crawls over to Mizuki’s side of the table to show him something on his phone, all excited, and Mizuki is barely paying any attention. He’s much too focused on the warmth that spreads through him as Ryo flops against his side, and on trying to calm his racing heart. </p><p>He’s nearly got himself pulled together, focusing carefully on Ryo’s words and not on the feel of his body against him, when Ryo suddenly drops his head on Mizuki’s shoulder. Mizuki jumps, startled, his heartbeat rocketing straight back up, but Ryo just mumbles something at him. </p><p>“Sleeeeeeepy,” he says, and he’s nearly boneless as Mizuki tries to keep him propped up. Mizuki feels like his heart is going to pound straight out of his chest, and Ryo is so adorable and Mizuki just wants to kiss him, and also kick him, because how the hell is he supposed to get him home like this?</p><p>He manages somehow, paying for the bill because Ryo didn’t bring his wallet just as he promised he wouldn’t. Mizuki smiles fondly at that, because of course. </p><p>Ryo’s a pain in the ass to get home, not nearly cooperative enough, and Mizuki is both annoyed and exasperated when he finally dumps Ryo onto his bed, but he can’t maintain either of those feelings when Ryo grabs at his wrist.</p><p>“Stay,” Ryo demands. </p><p>Mizuki tries to extract himself from his grip. “You should really drink some water,” he says. </p><p>Ryo just repeats himself and pulls harder, and Mizuki gives up and sits down on his bed, leaning back against the wall. To Mizuki’s mild alarm, Ryo immediately tips over into his lap, pillowing his head on Mizuki’s thigh and grinning up at him. </p><p>Mizuki tries to remind himself that Ryo is really, really drunk right now, but it’s hard to think of anything when Ryo looks at him like that. </p><p>“Hey, Mijuki,” Ryo says, and his expression softens into a small smile. He looks suddenly introspective, and Mizuki’s not sure how to take that, but then he looks him straight in the face and says the last thing Mizuki ever expected. </p><p>“I love you.” </p><p>He says it quietly, kind of seriously, and he’s still looking thoughtfully at Mizuki like he’s trying to figure something out. Mizuki forgets to breathe. </p><p>“Hey,” Ryo says, and reaches up a hand to Mizuki’s head, tugging lightly at his hair. “Get down here.”</p><p>Mizuki’s head is spinning as he leans over him, and he’s not very drunk anymore himself, but it feels that way as Ryo pulls him closer. </p><p>“Kiss me,” Ryo says, and really, Mizuki can’t do anything else. He presses his mouth to Ryo’s. </p><p>Ryo kisses him back, lazy and slow and comfortable, and Mizuki feels like he’s falling. He curls over Ryo, clinging, as the room spins around them, and Ryo’s mouth is warm and welcoming and perfect. </p><p>And then he relaxes in Mizuki’s arms, and Mizuki leans back to look at him, and Ryo’s fallen asleep. </p><p>Mizuki closes his eyes and sighs, just breathing, and thinks about how much he loves Ryo, and right at this moment, really, really hates him. </p><p> </p><p>*****************************</p><p> </p><p>Ryo’s got quite the headache when he wakes up. His whole body feels heavy and his mouth is too dry, and the sunlight is piercing when he opens his eyes. He squints against it and rolls over, and finds Mizuki sitting there, just looking at him. Ryo cringes and closes his eyes. </p><p>“Not feeling great, huh?” Mizuki says, and he doesn’t sound unsympathetic. </p><p>Ryo sighs. “Mmm,” he agrees, and then manages an apology. “I’m sorry about last night.”</p><p>“Which part of it?” Mizuki wants to know, and Ryo doesn’t know what to say to that. </p><p>“How much do you even remember?” Mizuki asks eventually. </p><p>Ryo struggles to sit up, his stomach twisting itself into knots, not from the hangover, but because Ryo remembers everything. Clearly. Telling Mizuki he loves him. Asking him to kiss him. </p><p>Ryo can’t look Mizuki in the eye when he answers him. </p><p> </p><p>*****************************</p><p> </p><p>“All of it,” Ryo tells him, and Mizuki’s breath catches in his throat. </p><p>“But you were really drunk,” Mizuki forces himself to say. Really drunk, probably didn’t mean any of it, even if he remembers it. </p><p>“Yeah,” Ryo acknowledges, and Mizuki feels his stomach drop. Of course. He watches Ryo carefully, trying to think of the words to laugh it off, to say it’s no big deal, but Ryo won’t even meet his eye. </p><p>He speaks before Mizuki can figure out what to say. </p><p>“Being drunk didn’t make me say anything I didn’t mean,” Ryo says quietly, staring off somewhere to the left of Mizuki’s shoulder. “It just made me say things that I do.” </p><p>The silence stretches between them as Mizuki tries to process this. </p><p>“Ryo…”</p><p>Ryo only sits there, looking sort of sick and maybe sort of terrified, and Mizuki just wants to take him in his arms and make everything better. And then it dawns on him that he can. </p><p>Mizuki gets up and moves to sit next to Ryo, who still won’t make eye contact. </p><p>“Ryo,” he says, and reaches to touch Ryo’s face. “Look at me?” </p><p>He waits until Ryo finally looks up, hesitant and obviously scared. Mizuki still doesn’t know what to say - Ryo’s much better about speaking his feelings - but he doesn’t want Ryo looking at him like that ever. So he does the only thing that feels right, and kisses him. </p><p> </p><p>*****************************</p><p> </p><p>Ryo is so shocked, so relieved, and so confused, that he entirely forgets to even kiss Mizuki back. He’s still frozen in disbelief when Mizuki pulls away, staring as Mizuki runs fingers across his jaw and tilts Ryo’s head to look at him properly. He’s smiling faintly, like he understands, and Ryo’s chest feels so tight that he can barely breathe. He’s so happy, and so overwhelmed, and it’s all he can do to cling to Mizuki when Mizuki pulls him into his arms. </p><p>They’ve been sitting for ages, and Ryo is just starting to remember that he has a headache, when Mizuki finally lets him go. </p><p>“Hashimocchan,” he says, and his smile is soft, and happy, and beautiful. </p><p>And Ryo feels perfect.</p>
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